Picture frame



Sept. 26, 1950 5, CLOYD 2,523,815

7 PICTURE FRAME Filed Jan. 22, 1945 INVENTOR.

Patented Sept. 26, 1950 PICTURE FRAME Harold S. Cloyd, Erie, Pa., assignor to National Organ Supply Company, Erie, Pa., 2. corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 22, 1945, Serial No. 573,848

3 Claims.

In picture frames of cast or molded material there is a tendency of the material to cold flow or warp, causing the frame to draw away from the glass, particularly at the corners. These effects are accentuated if the back fastening produces points of stress concentration. This invention is designed to overcome these difficulties and to provide an improved back fastening particularly applicable to cast or molded frame constructions. Further objects and advantages appear in the specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a back view of the picture frame; Fig. 2 is a back view with some of the back fastenings omitted; Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of one of the back fastenings;'

4 is a plan view of one of the corner pieces; and Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a rectangular picture frame having sides I and ends 2 sloping rearwardly toward the outer edges. On the rear face of the frame is a ledge 3 for receiving a glass 4, a picture 5 and a back 6 which may be provided with a stand I. At the outer periphery of the ledge 3 are side and end rails 8 and 9 projecting from the rear face of the frame beyond the back. The glass is held against the ledge by corner pieces Ill and II at the lower and upper corners of the frame. The corner pieces are provided with tongues I2 receivable in slots l3 at the junctions of the side and end rails and tongues 14 receivable in slots H5 in the side and end rails. The upper corner pieces I can be molded integral with the frame or have the tongues cemented in place and the inner edges it are bevelled on the under side so the picture, glass and back can be slid into place. The lower corner pieces II] are removable and are provided with ridges ll. In order that the glass may be held tightly against the ledge, slots 13 and Hi can be provided with a slight outward slope toward the front of the frame.

The frame is adapted to casting from thermoplastic material with the rails integral with the sides and ends of the frame. The slots l3 and [5 may be molded in the rails. The corner pieces l0 and l I may be made of the same material. While thermo-plastic material is obtainable in a wide variety of colors, it is subject to warping and is also subject to cold flow. It is therefore desirable that localized stress in the back fastening be avoided and that the frame be held tightly against the glass which stiiTens the frame and prevents warping. This is obtained in the present construction by locating the fastening means at the corners since the corners of the frame have a tendency to warp away from the glass and by providing relatively wide tongues on the corner pieces which distribute the holding stress along the rails.

While the slots may be molded integral with the rails of the frame, it is also possible to mold the rails or slot forming pieces separately and cement them in place, thereby obtaining an integral construction identical with the molded construction.

It may also be desirable to locate retaining pieces H3 at intermediate points along the rails.

These retaining pieces are provided with tongues l9 receivable in slots formed in the rails. The retaining pieces may als be provided with buttresses 23 which engage the inside of the rail.

What I claim as new is:

l. A frame for pictures or the like having a ledge on its rear face for receiving a glass and back, side and end rails bounding. the ledge and extending rearwardly from the frame, slots in adjacent side and end rails and at the corner therebetween, and a triangular corner piece adapted to rest against the back and having edges engaging the side and end rails at one side of the slots, and tongues projecting from said edges through said slots, said tongues and slots. when the corner piece is rested on the back in the position to slide along the back into the corner, being aligned in the direction of movement of the corner piece. 7 a

2. A frame for pictures or the like having a ledge on its rear face for receiving a glass and. back, side and end rails bounding the led e and extending rearwardly from the frame, adjacent rails being joined at a corner, slots in the rails on each side of the corner, a retainer extendin across the corner having the intermediate portions resting against the back and edges engaging the rails at one side of the slots, and tongues projecting from said edges through the slots, said tongues and slots, when the retainer is rested on the back in position to slide along the back into the corner, being aligned in the direction of movement of the retainer.

3. A cast frame for pictures and the like adapted to thermo-plastic material, comprising an integral rectangular frame having sides and ends sloping rearwardly toward the outer edges, a ledge on the rear face of the frame for receiving a glass and back, stiffening rails bounding the ledge extending rearwardly from the frame and joined at the corners, slots in the rails at the corners, and triangular corner pieces adapted to rest against the back and holding the glass against the ledge, said corner pieces having edges engaging the rails at one side of the' slots and tongues projecting from said edges through the slots, and said tongues and slots, when the corner pieces are rested on the back in position to slide along the back into the corner, being aligned in the direction of movement of the corner piece.

HAROLD S. CLOYD.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Tapscott May 20, 1902 Sincock July 14, 1908 Hawkes Mar. 27, 1917 Rosen Apr. 10, 1917 Champlain Jan. 14, 1930 Sullivan Nov. 4, 1930 Copeland Sept. 19, 1939 Kaplan Jan. 9, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain of 1913 

